Paul Revere
by LaylaBinx
Summary: It all began with Paul Revere. My take on how Ben and Riley first met and a series of one-shots about their friendship over the years. Ben and Riley frienship fluff!
1. Quick Note!

**Hey guys!! Just a quick** **note before we get too involved in this whole process! I know this kinda streams away from the canon idea about the whole Ben-found-Riley-in-a-cubicle thing but for some reason that just didn't quite sit with me so I changed it a bit :D These stories are strictly friendship so no worries about slash or anything of the like though if you would like to picture it that way it doesn't bother me, lol! Also, I'm not entirely sure how much older Ben is than Riley but I just can't picture Riley being over 24 in either of the movies so I'm going to assume Ben's at least 10 years older than him. If anyone does know feel free to tell me!! One other thing, their attitude may seem a little off in the beginning but I promise they will get more in character later on! Hope you enjoy!!**

**Much love!!**

**-Binx**


	2. Paul Revere

**Hello all!! Welcome to my new fic!! Ben seems to be the kind of person who would hold a job as a professor to me (before the whole treasure hunting thing took off; it can't pay too well without a discovery -.-;) so for this part I'm placing him in the job of substitute. It helped to fuel this idea :D Also, I made Riley incredibly young in this chapter just because he seems like the kind of person who could go to college at the age of 14 -.-; Hope you like it!!**

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Ben sighed tiredly and rubbed at his eyes, glancing over his lecture one last time before the students arrived. He looked at the clock at the back of the room and drained the last bit of coffee left in the Styrofoam cup on the desk. Only about five more minutes before class started. He honestly wasn't sure why he'd agreed to take the job of substitute for the week; he hated teaching. But for some reason, when a former colleague had called and asked him to fill in while he was out for surgery on a deviated septum, he couldn't refuse. Sure, the extra money was a plus but the man had also bailed Ben out of a few situations while they were both in school; he sort of owed him. Not only that, the class was over early American history, a total bonus considering it was his favorite subject.

The door swung open quietly and a few students began filing into the classroom, mulling around to their respective seats and setting down their backpacks and book bags. A few regarded the unfamiliar man with a look of slight surprise but never said anything. The low drone of conversation began to fill the room and Ben closed his eyes. He really hated teaching. It wasn't his profession of choice, though he did have the certificate, and he could think of about thirty other things he'd rather be doing than talking about history to a group of students who would more than likely fall asleep half-way through the lecture. He looked up at the clock one last time and got up, walking over to the door and shutting it softly.

"Good morning." He greeted loudly, catching the attention of the students as he spoke. "My name is Dr. Ben Gates and I'm going to be filling in for Professor Baum for the rest of the week until he recovers from his surgery." He walked over to the white board and wrote his name in bold black letters. "Okay, now I understand this is 2106, Early American History?"

"Nah, man." A young man spoke up from the back of the room. "This is Spanish class."

There were a few snickers from his fellow students and Ben laughed faintly to himself. "Glad to hear it. Now, considering your professor didn't leave anything explaining how far you all have gotten in class, what I'm going to do is write a few dates up on the board and I want you to tell me the significance of each. This will help me determine the areas we need to work on and what you've covered in the lectures." Ben turned to the board and picked up the marker again. "Oh, and it would also benefit you to take notes. I plan to give you a test at the end of the week over everything we've talked about."

A few groans escaped some of the students but they all took out notebooks and pencil and began copying down the dates as Ben wrote them on the board.

"Alright. 1607, tell me what happened."

A young woman in the front raised her hand hesitantly. "Jamestown was established."

"Right, Jamestown was the first permanent British colony established in the New World. But was it the first British colony ever?"

"No." The girl answered a little more confidently. "Roanoke was in 1586."

Ben nodded and added a note next to the date. "Very good. Roanoke was actually the first British colony established but it completely wiped out by either disease, famine, or attacks by the Native Americans. Okay, how about 1773?"

A silence fell across the room and Ben sighed to himself. "Tell you what, in exchange for a guess, even if it's wrong, I'll give you one point of extra credit on your test at the end of the week. Sound good?" A few nods followed his compromise and some students began raising their hands.

"1773, what happened?" Ben nodded to a young man in the back.

"The Intolerable Acts?"

"Close." Ben turned to the board and scribbled a few notes next to the date. "Actually it was the Boston Tea Party. Colonists snuck aboard British ships and dumped more than 300 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor in response to the Tea Act. Granted, the colonists were not aware they would have to pay for the lost tea, but you know, fight the power, right?" A few students giggled at the reference and Ben smiled, writing another date up on the board. "How about 1838?"

Upon seeing the blank looks on some of the faces in the classroom, Ben felt he should elaborate. "These dates are not always going to be in chronological order. I'm just trying to see how far you've gotten in the text book."

The text books were suddenly on the desks and the students were flipping through them.

"Okay, I guess 1838 is a little too far for now. The Trail of Tears was what happened in 1838 but we'll come back to that." He turned and faced the classroom. "So where did you last leave off?"

"Um…the last chapter we discussed was over the very beginning of the Revolutionary War." The young woman in the front answered, flipping through her notes. "Right before the battle of Lexington and Concord."

"Ahh." Ben turned and wrote something across the board. "Last date I'll quiz you over. 1775, tell me the importance of that date."

Silence greeted him and Ben continued. "Does the name Paul Revere ring any bells?" Seeing the dawn of recognition on the student's faces, Ben smiled and wrote down the name under the date. "Paul Revere's Midnight Ride to warn the colonists of the impending British attack. A man by the name of Robert Newman was instructed by Revere to place a lantern in the church steeple; one if the attack was coming from the land and two if it would come from the sea. Seeing as how the British sailed across the Charles River, two lanterns were placed in the steeple."

"Actually, that's not true…" A soft voice spoke up from somewhere off to the side. "There were three lanterns."

Ben turned and looked at the speaker, his interest suddenly peaked. "Three?"

"Yes sir." The young man pushed his glasses up a little higher on his nose and brushed his dark hair from his eyes, looking down at his book nervously.

"Alright then Mr.-?"

"Uh… R-Riley sir. Riley Poole"

"Alright Mr. Poole, could you tell me why there would be three lanterns instead of two?"

"Well," The young man began slowly. "The British already had a military base set up in the area. The troops more than likely knew the ships were already in pursuit on the river and realized they were probably going to end up being needed in the battle in the end. However, the colonists were aware of the land base so the two lanterns that had been placed in the steeple by Newman were to warn them of the water attack. A third lantern was added later, slightly smaller but still a reminder that the other base was right around the corner."

Ben smiled faintly and looked at the young man. "Three lanterns, huh? Well that changes alot. I suppose you'd also believe that Paul Revere was not the one who rode off into the night to warn the colonists as well?"

Riley visibly winced at the bluntness of the sentence. "Well, actually, yes. Paul Revere never rode that night; he was captured by a British. Another man, William Dawes, rode in his place instead but since it was originally Revere's mission, all of the credit goes to him."

Ben laughed lightly and shook his head. "So what you're saying is that all of the history books are wrong and that the stories children are told about Paul Revere are false? Why is that?"

The young man took a slow breath, a bright blush dusting his cheeks. "Because I don't think the poem, "Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight beat down of Paul Revere" would go over too well in a third grade classroom?"

There were several snickers in the room followed by a few students making quiet, yet snide remarks about the young man who had just spoken. Riley looked down again and shook his head. "Look, believe what you want but that's how it happened…" He protested weakly.

Ben nodded for everyone to be quiet and looked back at Riley. "Actually, Mr. Poole, you are exactly right." A shocked silence filled the room as Ben continued. "Revere sent Dawes ahead on the land route to spread the word while he went on down the river to act as insurance against Dawes capture." Ben wrote a few notes on the board and glanced back at Riley. "Very good, Mr. Poole."

The young man blushed brightly again, a goofy grin plastered across his face.

"Alright, that's all we have time for today." Ben explained, looking at the clock and erasing the board. "Be sure to read over chapter 7 tonight, there will be a quiz in the morning." The students began packing their bags and walking out, talking amongst themselves as the entered the hall.

Riley shoved his notebook into his backpack and slung it over one shoulder, walking toward the door only to be stopped by Ben.

"Riley, come here for a second." The older man called, motioning for him to come over to the front desk.

He obeyed and walked over slowly, adjusting the strap on his bag as he did. "Yes sir?"

"That was very impressive earlier." Ben complimented, smiling as another grin crossed the student's face.

"Nah, it was just some random fact I remembered from a history class I had once before."

"So are you taking this class for dual credit for high school or something?"

"Uh, no, actually I'm a student here." The younger man corrected softly.

Ben frowned. "Seriously? You look like you're about 16…"

"17." Riley countered a little defensively.

"Okay okay, no reason to get upset. Freshmen?"

"Junior."

Ben blinked and fought the urge to stare. So this kid had started college when he was 14? Even more impressive.

Riley looked at his watch and sighed. "Hey man, I have to go, I have a Chemistry class after this but you'll be here tomorrow right?"

"You got it." Ben nodded and watched at the young man rushed to the door.

"Alright, see you then!" Riley called over his shoulder, running out the door and disappearing down the hall.

Ben smiled and began straightening the papers on his desk. He really hated teaching; every once in a while there was the one student who really surprised you and made you question your own intelligence.

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**Whoo!! Okay, so there's the first chapter! Hope it wasn't too terrible :D I did some research on the Paul Revere facts and most of it seems pretty accurate but if anything is off just let me know and I'll be sure to change it!! Love it?? Hate it?? Let me know!!**


	3. Stuck!

**Hello all!! Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!! To celebrate, I wrote another chapter!! Whoo!! Okay, not really but I figured tonight would be a perfect night to work on this so here you go! :D Hope you enjoy!!**

**By the way, this type of adhesive actually exists! I'm not entirely sure what all is involved in it but we did something similar in my chemistry class last semester and accidently glued a guy's shoe to the floor :D Wow...that's terrible...**

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The last class of the week slipped out of the classroom and Ben heaved and audible sigh as the last student left. He leaned back in the chair, popping his back all the way down as he did so. So the overall experience of being a substitute hadn't been a complete failure but it had been one hell of a long week and he was glad it was over. He slid his glasses off and tucked them into his pocket, gathering the remaining papers on the desk and putting them into his bag. With a final look around the classroom, Ben stood up and made his way to the door.

It was just past 7:30 and there were very few students left in the main campus, many having retreated either to their homes or other classrooms on the outskirts of the campus. A few teachers nodded to him as he passed by, thanking him for filling in for Professor Baum and then going on about their business. Ben smiled politely and replied when he needed to but in reality he just wanted to go home and get back to his research.

He passed one of the downstairs chemistry labs, rummaging through his bag absently in search of his car keys, but slowly came to a stop as a tiny, almost inaudible sound filtered through the door. Ben looked through the door's window, gazing into the empty, dark classroom silently. The science labs always closed early on Fridays but he could have sworn he heard a cell phone ringing in the empty lab. Figuring he was going crazy and blaming it on the immense amount of paperwork he needed to finish between that night and the next morning, Ben shrugged slightly and turned away, ready to walk out the door.

There it was again; the thin, shrill ring of a cell phone echoing off the quiet walls of the lab. Ben turned back toward the lab and looked inside once again, still seeing no one but opening the door anyway. A student had probably left their phone on the table or something in a rush to get out of class and simply forgotten it; either way it needed to be turned in to the front office so it wouldn't be stolen.

Ben walked into the classroom slowly, scanning the tables for any sign of a cell phone but coming up with nothing. There was a tiny movement toward the back of the room and he froze, flipping on the lights instantly. "Hello?" He called, stepping a little further into the room so he could see past the first few tables.

"Hello?" A small voice called back from somewhere back in the room. "Is anyone in here?"

Ben frowned and walked toward the back of the room, following the voice. He turned a corner and frowned a little, looking down at the floor. "Riley?"

The younger man looked up from the floor and flashed him a goofy grin. "Hello Dr. Gates." He was lying flat on his back, partially hidden beneath the lab table, one arm resting against the leg of the table and the other tucked behind his head to serve as the relatively useless pillow.

"Riley, are you alright?" Ben set his bag down and walked toward him, scanning Riley's body for any sign of injury.

Riley frowned for a second and thought. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you're laying flat on your back in a chemistry lab…most of the time that's not a good indication of being "fine." Quite the opposite actually."

"Oh!" Riley glanced down to his supine position and offered a lopsided grin. "Yeah…funny story actually, I'm kinda glued to the floor."

"Your…what…?"

"I'm glued to the floor. I can't move."

"Well, yes, I gathered that much but how and why?"

Riley shrugged as much as he could from the floor. "Fate is cruel I guess. It was a series of unfortunate events that lead to my back being stuck to the floor."

Upon seeing Ben's look for him to continue, Riley took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay…some classmates and I were working on a chemistry project in here earlier even though we knew the lab was supposed to be closed. We were trying to finish this assignment over adhesives, you know the whole "safe-for-children-but-don't-swallow-it" kind of stuff, only a little more advanced? Well the first set we mixed up was a little too strong, really fast acting, and so we were going to pour it out and start over. Well, one thing lead to another and one the way to the sink, one of my classmates tripped and ended up spilling it on the back of my shirt. As if that wasn't bad enough, then they thought they heard someone coming so everyone bolted for the door like the Running of the Bulls and ended up knocking me down where the glue decided to do what it does best and attach me to the floor."

Ben suppressed a laugh and cleared his throat. "That's uh…quite a sticky situation you've gotten yourself into kid."

Riley smiled lightly and rolled his eyes at the terrible pun. "That's cute, really, but I've been stuck here for about four hours now and I seriously have to pee like it's no one's business. Think you can help me up?" Watching as the older man suppressed another laugh, Riley sighed in exasperation. "I've been trying since I got stuck but considering my entire back is glued to the floor and my right arm is stuck to the table, it's a little harder than it looks."

Regaining his composure, Ben nodded and gently slid his hand beneath Riley's arm. "This isn't going to rip your skin off, is it?"

"Man, I don't even care anymore. I'd rather get a skin graft than die of kidney failure…"

"Alright…" Ben got a good hold on Riley's shoulder and looked down at him. "On three, okay? One…two…**Rip!!"**

"Agh! You liar! What happened to three?!" The younger man cried as his arm was jerked free from the table.

"You'd be expecting "three" and would have tensed up making it harder to pull your arm." Ben explained logically, smirking as Riley shot him a look that could have put him six feet under. "Ready for the rest?"

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Riley nodded. "Yeah, just do it already. No counting this ti-AGHH!!"

"Shhh! Shhhh! Sorry!!" Ben rambled quickly, knowing if they were caught in the lab after hours they'd both be in deep trouble. "Are you okay?" He asked after a minute, looking at the student he'd just ripped off the floor.

Riley was gritting his teeth tightly and muttering all kinds of colorful curses beneath his breath. "Yeah…peachy…" He growled through his jaw, gingerly touching his back.

"Let me see." Ben scooted over behind him and looked at the shredded shirt. Riley's skin was red and raw but it looked like the shirt had taken the most damage. He touched the raw flesh gently, earning a hiss from his companion. "You going to be alright? Should I take you to a doctor or something?"

"No!" Riley answered quickly, a little too quickly. He calmed down and shook his head, a soft smile pulling at his mouth. "Nah, it's okay, I'll be fine. Just a flesh wound right?"

Ben shrugged and offered him a hand. "If you say so." He tugged Riley upright, steadying him a little as he swayed from the sudden upward motion.

The younger man offered him a bright smiled and slung his backpack over on shoulder. "Thanks a lot man, you're a lifesaver! But, as I said, I'm about to pee on myself so I really have to go! See you around, Dr. Gates!!" Riley took off toward the door but Ben stopped him halfway.

"Hey Riley!"

"Hm?"

Smiling genuinely, Ben waved to him. "Call me Ben."

Riley grinned again and nodded. "Alright. See you around, Ben!!" And with that he disappeared down the hall.

Ben laughed and picked up his bag, situating it on his shoulder and head out the same door. Weird kid. Good weird, but weird nonetheless...

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**Yay! Another chapter down! Okay, I know these are supposed to be one shots but the first two chapters kinda fell into an "Arc" pattern. Kinda like a "meeting and greeting arc" I guess :D Anyway, more fun stuff and hilarity to ensue!! Loves!!**


	4. Classified

**Hello!! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update!! Summer school just started back up and between that and work I've been swamped O.o Anyway, moving right along...The plot gets better!! Whoo!! :D**

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Ben pushed the last box into the hallway closet and shut the door behind it. He dusted his hands on his jeans and brushed away a few balls of fuzz from his shirt. Walking back to the spare bedroom of his apartment, he looked around the room one last time. It was decorated modestly; a twin bed pushed against one wall with a small desk and a bookshelf complimenting the other side of the room. He'd fought it for about three years now, using the spare room as a kind of storage space, but now he had to suck it up and face facts: Ben had to get a roommate.

The realization finally struck him about two weeks ago, after he'd paid his bills almost a month past the due date. Independent research paid little to nothing and teaching or even substitution jobs were especially hard to come by considering the campus was out for winter break. Simply put, money was tight and he had a spare room he never used so it might as well serve some purpose other than a place to store all of his books. Resigning himself to his fate, Ben put an ad in the classified section of the newspaper and waited for the results.

He'd already interviewed four people in the past week, none of which turned out to be a potential roommate. The first was a young man who would twitch and scratch at his arms constantly like something was crawling on him (drug addict), the second had been a young woman who had shown up wearing a tube top and shorts that barely covered what needed to be covered and insisted on touching him flirtatiously every chance she got (sex addict), the third had been to prison for stealing a car when he was 16 (grand theft auto addict; literally), and the fourth had smelled like gun powder and sulfur and Ben was relatively certain one of his eyes was glass (fire addict). He was about to give up hope and take up another job when he got an email early that morning from someone interested in the room. Remembering he was the one who put his email address on the ad, Ben sat down and read the email.

The sender had said they'd take whatever was offered and was willing to pay full price for the room if need be. They'd also added that they were currently without a cell phone but if the renter was interested, he would be at the coffee shop on Burlington Avenue at 11:30 for a meeting. Figuring he had nothing to lose, Ben saved the email and looked at his watch. It was 11:03; he had plenty of time to get there. Grabbing a coat from a hook next to the door, Ben slipped his keys into his pocket and walked out the door to meet with the mysterious emailer.

**OOOOOOO**

Yellow and orange leaves skittered across the ground as he walked down the sidewalk, swirling around his feet and wisping into the street only to be scattered by passing cars. Even though it wasn't quite December, the trees had already dropped their leaves and were now almost completely bare. Ben shoved his hands a little deeper into his coat pockets and rounded the corner, catching a glimpse of the sign for the coffee shop. It was called Java Jitters, a place the majority of the students crammed to during finals. Even with the campus being empty, the outside patio was still almost completely full, small groups of young men and women crowding around the tiny metal tables.

Ben approached the coffee shop slowly and stopped momentarily. He just realized he had no idea who he was looking for, male or female, tall or short, nothing. He sighed heavily and silently cursing the person who'd sent the email. He was just about to turn around and head back home when he stopped, noticing a somewhat familiar face sitting alone at one of the tables.

The young man was staring at the steam floating away from his cup blankly, drumming his fingers against the cold table. His hair was hanging slightly in his face and he looked tired, like he hadn't slept in a few days.

"Riley?" Ben called, waiting to see if he'd get any kind of reaction.

The man in question started a little at the sound of his name and looked up, smiling a little as he saw Ben standing off in the distance. "Dr. Gates!" He greeted from his table, standing as the older man walked over.

"It's Ben." Ben corrected lightly, smiling as he got closer. He grabbed a spare chair from another table and pulled it up, sitting across from Riley. "So how's school going?" He asked as he sat down, realizing he hadn't seen the younger man since he'd pried him off the floor of the Chemistry lab.

"Well, out for now." Riley laughed, shrugging a little and taking a drink from his cup. "You?"

"About the same. So what are you doing here? Didn't feel like going home for the holidays?"

Riley laughed faintly and shook his head. "Nah, too far of a drive and I can't afford the plane ticket so I stayed here for the break."

"Ah, I understand." Ben nodded and looked up at the sky. It was going to rain before the day was out. "So what brings you to the coffee shop? Studying?"

"Uh no, actually. I'm meeting someone here."

"Oh, I didn't know you were on a date. I can go if I'm in the way." Ben started to stand but Riley stopped him.

"No, Dr. Gates-"

"Ben."

"Ben. It's okay, I'm supposed to be meeting someone in response to an apartment ad I found in the paper." Riley pulled a small, folded up sheet of newspaper from his pocket and laid it on the table. "I sent the guy and email earlier today but I'm not sure if he got it or not."

Ben quirked an eyebrow as he looked at the familiar ad circled in red. He laughed quietly to himself, amazed at the turn of events, and looked back at the younger man. "So you're looking for a new apartment? What was wrong with your old one?"

Riley smiled humorlessly and finished his coffee in one gulp. "Well, nothing really considering I didn't necessarily live in an apartment. I was living in one of those old dorms across from campus, you know, the ones that were built in like 1807? Well anyway, I came home last Friday to find all these guys in Haz-Mat suits jerking out the other 16 residents that shared the dorm with me and lining them up outside, me included. Turns out our home sweet home was like the Chernobyl of the dorms in this part of the state and was damn near radioactive with some incredibly rare yet mutant, deadly fungus that was growing in the walls." He laughed as Ben's eyes widened. "So, we were all packed into these nifty little white vans and transported to the hospital where we were under strict observation for the rest of the weekend." Riley visibly paled as he said the last part and shook his head. "See look, I got a cool bracelet!" He rolled up the sleeve on his jacket and showed Ben the plastic identification bracelet the hospital had hooked him up with.

"Wow..." The older man said after a minute. "That sucks."

"Right? I got out this morning and what's worse is that since all of our stuff was probably contaminated with spores and whatnot, they disposed of it. So not only do I not have a home anymore, I no longer have any clothes or much of anything else either." He grinned brightly and looked down at his wrinkled shirt. "Don't worry, there was a washing machine in the hospital."

Ben smiled and looked at the ad. "Well, the room is yours if you want it."

"The room- huh?"

"The ad? I was the one who placed it and I'm offering you the room if you would like it."

Riley's eyes widened and a blush heated his cheeks. "Oh God...I'm so sorry, I wasn't trying to guilt you into giving me the room or anything it was just the question and I was answering it and-"

"Riley."

"Yeah?"

"Do you want the room or not?"

The younger man thought about it for a grand total of about three seconds before nodding enthusiastically. "Definitely! I mean...if that's okay with you?"

Ben laughed and nodded. "Trust me, at this point your about the only person I think I could live with that wouldn't rob me blind or rape me in my sleep."

"What?"

"Nothing. Come on, I'll show you where it is." The older man stood and started to walk toward the sidewalk.

"Wait, just one thing..."

Ben stopped and turned around. "Sure, what is it?"

Riley shifted a little and looked embarrassed. "You don't have any weird habits do you? Not the drinking-milk-directly-out-of-the-carton kind of habit, I mean like walking around in a Pikachu costume speaking in tongues kinda habit."

Ben blinked a few times and thought about the best possible answer. "Um...no? What the hell is a Pikachu?"

"Nothing. Okay, we're good!"

**OOOOOOO**

On the way to the apartment, Riley chattered continuously about the hospital visit and Ben wasn't entirely sure whether it was the caffeine or lack of sleep that was making him so talkative. He opened the door and walked inside, Riley following closely behind him.

"Okay, I'll just warn you the decoration is pretty bare but you're welcome to add anything you want as soon as you get settled." Ben said as he opened the door to the spare bedroom.

Riley looked inside and sighed deeply in a mixture of relief and gratitude. "Ben, thanks man. You don't know how much this means to me."

Ben smiled and shrugged. "Don't worry about it kiddo. Tell you what, I'll pay the rent if you pay utilities and cable, deal?"

"You got it."

Ben looked around at the room again and winced inwardly. "Like I said, the room is pretty bare but-"

"Ben, I had a couch made out of an ice chest. Trust me, this is more than fine." Riley smiled and walked into the room, looking around slowly.

"Alright," Ben said, smiling lightly. "Let me know if you need help with anything. But, just so we're clear, the first time I catch you walking around in a Peek-a-boo costume speaking in tongues, I'm kicking you out."

Riley laughed. "Alright, first of all, it's Pikachu, not Peek-a-boo, and second its a very serious matter."

"I'm sure."

"Don't worry, I'm allergic to yellow anyway."

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**Yay!! Ben and Riley are roommates now!! Okay, I swear I'm going to explain Riley's fear of hospitals in a later chapter, no worries :D Also, the Pikachu thing is an incredibly _long_ story but I highly recommend you question potential roommates about that -.-; It is crucial!! Lol, love ya!!**


	5. Abstract

**Yay!! New chapter!! It's pretty short but hopefully you guys will like it!! Also, I posted the links for some of these posters at the bottom ...V... Enjoy!!**

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"It's weird."

"It's art; it's supposed to be weird."

"Well yeah, but seriously, there's a limit." Ben picked up a poster and looked at it intently. "I don't get it, why is there an escalator in the middle of an ocean and why is that man just standing in front of it?"

Riley gazed over his shoulder at the print in question and sighed. "It's supposed to represent an altered perception of human reality."

"It's weird."

"Oh yeah, well what about the hieroglyphs you have hanging in your room? Those are pretty weird to the untrained eye."

"Yeah, but Riley art is at least supposed to make some kind of sense. This…this doesn't. And they're not "hieroglyphs", they're runes."

"Yeah, well they're old as hell and don't make much sense either."

Ben mumbled something but couldn't argue too much; he had made a promise.

Laughing, the younger man turned to face his new roommate and shrugged casually. "You said I could hang whatever I wanted so you can't take it back now." Shortly after moving in, Riley had landed a job as a tech support for a computer repair store and had managed to save up some money in order to go shopping for room décor. He'd found a nifty shop next to a video store that sold nothing but abstract art prints. Purchasing about five of them, Riley rushed home to show them off and begin hanging. His "showing off" didn't go quite as planned though, Ben hated the posters.

"I don't hate them. I just don't necessarily understand them." The older man had corrected quickly.

"Coming from the person who has a Picasso painting hanging in his living room." Riley laughed and pushed another tack into the wall. "Ben, it's a poster. You're reading way too far into it."

"What is this? Is that a duck?!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, a duck in the middle of the sidewalk."

"And this one…are they driving through a tree?"

"Yeah! Pretty cool, huh?"

Ben didn't say anything and simply handed the poster to his roommate. "And what do you have against Picasso? He was incredibly talented."

Riley stopped mid-hammer and gave his friend a look that was mixture of shock and awe. "Oh, so my duck is weird but a picture of a woman with an elbow protruding from her forehead isn't?"

"Hey, I never said I understood that either but his paintings are pretty fascinating."

The younger man laughed softly to himself and hung up another person. "I think we differ severely in our taste in art."

"Okay, well the Shortcut to China is pretty cool."

"See, they're not so terrible if you just appreciate them for what they are."

"Clowns...clowns, really?"

There was a pause and Riley took a deep breath. "Yeah, that one is kinda weird. Let's hang it in the closet…or under the bed."

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**I actually have some of these posters hanging in my apartment and I think they're fascinating! Even the creepy clowns hanging over Paris O.o Hope you liked it!!**

**www.boke.ge/forum/uploads/post-23-1132580700.jpg**  
**/-sp/The-Escalator-Posters...**


	6. Phobia

**Hiya!! Sorry it's taken me so long to update!! O.o Anyway, my best friend and I got into a conversation about fears the other day so this is where this chapter was born D Hope you like it!!**

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"Riley, could you come here for a second?"

"Sure, Ben. Hang on, just a minute…" Riley stared at the computer screen, almost completely done with the report he'd been working on for the past two weeks.

"Riley, I need you to come in here. **Now**."

Sighing softly, the young man saved his report and stood slowly, stretching a little as he did so. He turned and walked into the hallway, wandering through the apartment in confusion. "Alright, I give up. Where are you?"

"The bathroom."

"Uh…"

"Don't worry, I'm decent."

Nodding from his place in the hallway, Riley pushed open the door to see his best friend sitting fully clothed on the bathroom counter, his knees tucked up against his chest. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a faded black t-shirt that had the periodic table on it. A towel was draped over the shower curtain and the air in the bathroom felt warm and humid from the shower being on. Quirking an eyebrow at the unusual behavior and posture of his best friend, Riley smiled a little and leaned against the door frame. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Ben nodded and leaned back against the mirror, keeping his legs folded underneath him. "Why?"

"Well, um, you're huddled in a bathroom on the counter top. Some might think that indicates some sort of problem."

"Nope, no problem. Just wanted to talk." Ben smiled casually and ran a hand through his still wet hair.

"Alright, well if we're going to start singing about hygiene and morals I should warn you, I'm a bit tone-deaf." Ben laughed and Riley returned the gesture, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, what should we talk about?"

"Quantum physics?"

"Ben, what's going on? I know you didn't call me in here just to talk about random spurts of thought, now what's up?"

Sighing heavily, Ben let his head fall back against the mirror. He was silent for a few seconds before he quietly answered. "There's a spider on the wall next to the door."

Riley looked down at the wall and noticed the creature in question. It was a small wood spider, about as big as a quarter, its body dark brown and sprawled across the white wall. "So?"

"So what?"

"So kill it."

"I can't kill it!"

"Why?"

"Because then I'd have to touch it…" Ben trailed off and looked at the sink, a faint blush stretching over his face.

Riley chuckled softly. "What, are you afraid of spiders?"

"No, I just don't want to be near them."

The younger man looked back down at the spider and back up at his friend. "Is that why you're crouched on the counter?"

"No."

"Uh-huh. Then why did you call me in here?"

"Distraction."

"What?"

"I'm using you as a distraction so I can get out of the bathroom and that little eight-legged bane of my existence won't jump on me as I pass." Ben's jaw was clenched tight and he kept glaring at the spider as if it were the vilest thing he'd ever seen.

"Wow, thanks." Riley laughed softly and looked up at the death glares Ben was giving the spider, shaking his head in disbelief. "Oh my God, you really are afraid of spiders, aren't you?"

The older man said nothing and turned away as an answer.

Riley chuckled again quietly and nodded. "Okay, hold on." He turned and walked out of the bathroom into the kitchen, grabbing a plastic cup and a sheet of paper and returning a few seconds later. He crouched down and carefully placed the cup over the spider, trapping it against the wall. Then, he slid the paper beneath the cup and lifted both away from the wall, creating a small cage for the little creature. Cup-cage in hand, Riley walked to the front door and deposited the spider into the nearest bush, closing the door behind him. "There, problem solved." He grinned, watching as Ben stumbled around the corner.

"Thanks." The older man sighed, shuddering ever so faintly and shaking it off. "I thought my legs were going to fall asleep."

Riley resisted the urge to laugh, knowing Ben normally didn't like to show too much emotion. "Don't worry, everyone's afraid of something."

"Yeah, but it doesn't make any sense. I've never been bitten by a spider or anything so that fear is completely unfounded."

"Well, that's the thing about fears, Ben," Riley said, walking into the kitchen and washing his hands. "They don't have to make sense for you to be afraid of them. Even though it's been fifteen years since Jurassic Park came out, I have a friend who still judges real estate by how easily a velociraptor could get into his kitchen."

Ben blinked slowly. "Okay, that's just weird."

"No, fear of peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth is weird. Fear of mud is weird. Fear of dinosaurs and spiders is completely healthy."

"Aright, smart guy, so what are you afraid of?"

Riley shrugged nonchalantly and dried his hands on a paper towel. "Sharks."

"Sharks?"

"Yep, big, carnivorous fish that could rip a human being in half in less than fifteen seconds."

"Any particular reason?"

"Nah…other than the fact that my parents let me watch Jaws when I was four and took me to the beach that weekend. That kinda ruined it for me."

Ben laughed. "Alright, well if we're ever faced with a shark I'll be sure to take care of it for you. Until then, I don't think you have much to worry about in the kitchen."

Riley smirked and threw the paper towel into the trashcan. "Alright, well in that case I'll take care of all of our eight-legged friends until then. Sound good?"

"Deal."

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**Hope you liked it!! I know it's kinda short but I promise the next chapter will be longer; I'll finally explain Riley's fear of hospitals D Love you guys!!**


	7. Shot

**Oh my God!! I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to update sooner!! I got so caught up with school and finals I never had a chance to write!! O.o Anyway, this chapter explains Riley's fear of doctors so hope you all like it!!**

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"You know, it's probably not the greatest idea to walk around that field barefoot." Ben called over the fence as Riley tromped through the tall grass behind their apartment building shoeless.

"Really? Why's that?" The younger man called over his shoulder, searching for the missing Frisbee that had disappeared within the grass.

"Well a bunch of kids used top build skate ramps and platforms back there, there might still be various teenage tools hidden back there."

"Ohh, it's like Easter!" Riley laughed, plucking the bright yellow disc from a shrub and turning back toward his best friend. "Found it!" He started back across the field but only made it about halfway as something sharp and distinctly metal plunged into the sole of his foot. "Gah!"

"You okay?"

"Yeah…" Riley groaned, sitting down in the tall grass and propping his foot on his knee. "I think I stepped on a nail or something…" Sure enough, a rusty yet no less sharp nail had driven itself into the soft flesh of his foot, hanging from the wound like it was glued to him. "Damn…."

"Need some help?" But Ben didn't wait for an answer as he passed through the fence and made his way over to the sitting younger man. He crouched next to Riley and looked at the thin metal spike sticking out of his foot. "Wow that looks terrible."

"Thanks for your encouragement." Riley mumbled, plucking the nail from his foot and gritting his teeth as a thin stream of blood began to ooze from the wound.

"Aw, come on. It's not that bad." Ben nudged his shoulder and smiled. "Besides, you've had a tetanus shot right?"

"If I said no what would you do?"

"Drag you immediately to a doctor's office to get one."

"Then yes, I have had one."

"Riley…" Ben sighed and shook his head slowly.

"Ben…" Riley sighed even louder and shook his head as well. "Why do I need a tetanus shot? When had tetanus ever killed anyone?"

"Actually about 11 of all tetanus cases are fatal. Plus I don't want to hear you gripe when you get lockjaw."

Riley sighed dramatically again and closed his eyes. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

"Ugh…so if I get this shot will you leave me alone?"

Ben nodded as he looped an arm around Riley's shoulders and helped him stand. "Come on, it won't be that bad." He promised, walking his grumbling best friend across the remainder of the field and stuffing him in the front seat of his car.

**OOOOO**

Riley gripped the pen a little too tightly, fidgeting with it as he filled out the paperwork in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Beside him, Ben was calmly reading a magazine, flipping through the pages slowly and glancing through the articles.

"You okay?" He asked quietly, noticing the constant, sporadic movement nest to him.

"YeahI'mfine. DoInotlookfine? Whywouldn'tIbefine? Riley stammered all at once, signing his name a little too quickly and tucking the pen against the clipboard. "Done!" He cried triumphantly, dropping the clipboard onto his lap and bouncing his leg nervously.

Ben raised an eyebrow and turned to face his best friend, ready to ask the question that had been bugging him for the past half hour but was never able to get it out as a nurse appeared through a door across the room. "Riley Poole?" She called across the waiting room, scanning the faces with only half interest.

Riley jumped and dropped the clipboard on the floor. "Uh…h-here…" He called meekly, paling as the nurse nodded for him to come back.

Ben noticed and stood with him. "Come on, kiddo. Let's go." Keeping a loose grip on his best friend's arm, Ben slowly led him to the back where the nurse was waiting.

"Alright, Mr. Poole, could you step up on the scale please?" The nurse asked, stepping to the side and nodding to a scale pressed up against a wall. Riley obeyed and stood still as the nurse adjusted the weights. "Okay…142 pounds." The nurse said over her shoulder to another woman standing against the opposite wall. The other woman wrote down the number in its appropriate slot and rested the clipboard against her hip.

"Alright Mr. Poole, if you'll just have a seat over here." Riley followed the nurse's directions and fell into the chair that was indicated. A digital thermometer was offered to him to place under his tongue and the nurse pressed two fingers to the inside of his wrist to count his pulse. After a few seconds the thermometer beeped and was taken away. "Okay, temperature is 98.7 and pulse is 176." The other nurse raised her eyebrows a little and gave Ben a questioning look.

"He's just a little nervous." Ben answered, shrugging a little as the woman wrote down the number anyway.

Once everything was documented, Ben and Riley were lead to a small room at the other end of the hall and instructed to wait for the doctor to come in. Riley walked into the room and sat in a chair in the corner of the room. "Well that was fun." He muttered dryly.

"Okay Riley, seriously, what is going on with you?" Ben asked once the door was closed and they were alone.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean every time I mention the word doctor you look like you're about to thrown up and now that we're actually here you almost have a heart attack. What is your deal?"

Riley was silent for a few seconds, scratching at his jeans absently.

"Riley listen," Ben said, his voice a little softer. "I want to help you, I really do, but it's impossible for me to do that when you won't tell me what's wrong."

There was a soft sigh and Riley straightened a little. "Okay…" He began slowly, looking around the room for some sort of escape. "Remember how we were talking about phobias the other day?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I have this phobia of doctors and hospitals."

"Obviously, but why?"

Another pause before he began. "When I was about eight some friends and I were going camping for the weekend. Well it had been raining earlier that day and the roads were still kind of wet. Anyway, some guy ran a stop light and t-boned the van we were in, flipping it three times before it landed upside down in a ditch."

"Oh my God…" Ben muttered unbeknownst to himself, watching his friend's face carefully.

"Yeah. Well, thankfully no one was killed but we were all pretty banged up, lots of broken bones you know? Well I guess I hit a window or something when the car went off the road because I developed a blood clot in the side of my head." Riley motioned to a tiny scar behind his right ear that Ben had never noticed before. "Anyway, I was in a coma for about a week and a half and after that spent almost a year in rehab learned how to walk and talk again."

"God Riley, I had no idea…" Ben murmured, eyes a little wide.

"No big deal. I mean I guess it knocked something around because my IQ sky-rocketed after that." Riley laughed humorlessly and shrugged.

"I'm sorry…"

"Nah, don't be. I should have told you sooner. That's what friends do right?"

Ben smiled and nodded, nudging his shoulder a little. "Yeah, well thank you for telling me. Need me to hold your hand for the shot?"

Riley laughed a little. "Nah, I think I can handle it."

There was a knock at the door and Riley jumped so high he nearly fell out of the chair and immediately caught Ben's hand in a death grip.

"Mr. Poole?" A grandmotherly woman with white hair and glasses slipped into the room and smiled kindly at them. "Hello there, I'm Dr. Parson. I understand you're getting a tetanus shot today?"

Riley tried to answer but the words caught in his throat so Ben nodded in his place. "Yes ma'am."

Noticing the vice-like grip Riley had on the older man's hand, the woman smiled warmly at him. "Don't worry dear, it'll be over before you know it." She turned her back to them and began rummaging around in a few drawers. Seconds later she appeared by Riley's side and gently rolled up his sleeve, swabbing his upper arm with an alcohol pad.

Riley hissed unconsciously and squeezed his eyes closed, gripping Ben's hand a little tighter.

Ben winced, feeling his bones rubbing together and tried uselessly to flex his hand. "Hey Riley, think you can loosen your grip just a little?"

"No! You offered so deal with it!" Riley cried as he kept his eyes closed tightly, head turned away from the woman coming at him with the needle.

"Alright, are you ready?" She asked softly, pinching his arm lightly. "On the count of three. One…Two…"

Riley grit his teeth tightly as the needle pierced his skin and the medicine was emptied into his muscle. "Is it over?" He asked after a second.

"Yes sir, you are all done. Now hold on just one second and let me get you a bandage…" The woman turned and there was a very tiny, almost inaudible snap. "Uh-Oh."

"Uh-oh?! What uh-oh? There should never be an uh-oh!!" Riley cried hysterically, voice high with fear.

Ben ignored him and looked at the woman. "What happened?"

"Oh nothing to worry about dear." She answered easily, smiling at him. "The tip of the syringe just separated a bit."

"You mean the needle broke off in his arm?"

Unfortunately, that was all Riley needed to hear for his eyes to roll back in his head and slump forward in a dead faint.

**OOOOO**

"-iley…"

"Riley."

"Ngh…" Riley blinked, his eyes focusing out the window of Ben's car. Confusion clouded his mind and he sat up a little more, looking around.

"Hey there, thought you were never going to wake up." Ben laughed, switching lanes and watching his best friend from the corner of his eye.

"What happened?" Riley's mouth felt dry and he shook his head a little to clear the fog.

"You passed out at the doctor's office when the needle broke." The older man clarified, smiling a little as his passenger groaned audibly.

"Oh man, I'm such a nerd…" Riley moaned behind his hands, blinking slowly.

"Nah, it's not big deal." Ben said, offered him a lopsided grin. "It was kind of awkward to give a full grown adult a piggy-back ride to the car though." Riley groaned again and Ben laughed. "But hey, at least you got a cool band-aide."

The younger man rolled up his sleeve to see a Spongebob Squarepants bandage stretched across his bicep. "Right on." He mumbled, laughing a little. "Well at least I'm up to date on my tetanus shot right?"

"True, but you have several others you've fallen behind on." Ben answered, hiding a smile at his friend's horrified expression. "Now I could let you make the decision to get your shot records updated or we can wait until you piss me off and I can use that as blackmail. Your call."

"Trust me, I don't plan to piss you off anytime soon." Riley answered honestly, looking out the window once more. "Threatened with needles or sharks you win anyway…"

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**Woot!! Hope you all liked it!! Let me know what you think!! D**


	8. Jitterbug

**Hey guys!! Sorry it took so long for me to update!! (even though this isn't technically an update -.-;) I wrote this a fewe months ago, before I started this group of one shots and figured it kind of went along the same lines so I added it. For those of you who have read this, I'm sorry it's not new material O.o For those who haven't, hope you enjoy!! Once I get a chance to actually write something new I'll be sure to post it I'm just a little...buried in work and school right now and haven't had a minute to write a new chapter :( I'm so sorry!! I promise I'll give you all something new as soon as I can!! Until then I hope this will suffice for a while :D Love ya!!**

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The problem with energy drinks isn't the fact that they make their victims more hyper than a crack-addicted squirrel. It's the crash; the sudden and debilitating crash that follows the excessive amount of caffeine and fake sugar that is quickly and heavily dumped into the blood stream. Over the past several years, Riley had tried just about every known energy drink created in a desperate attempt to stay up even an hour longer than usual.

Good old fashioned coffee works wonders for about two weeks before the body begins to form immunity to it and the stimulating energy begins to have less of an effect on the person drinking it. Even copious amounts of espresso and chocolate covered coffee beans, while enough to almost instantly produce heart palpitations, can lose their desired effect after a while.

It was only the recent discovery of a combination of Red Bull and Rock Star mixed together in a water jug that weighed as much as a small child that could do anything for Riley's predicament. It wasn't that he needed to stay up until 3-4 am every night but it was the fact that this was the time when he could get the most work done and not have to worry about disturbing his roomate. At times like this, it was quiet and still. Early into the morning, when there was nothing on but he and the computers he toyed with, that was his golden hour. So at roughly 10:30 every night, Riley would mix up his sugar drenched energy drink into a dark blue water jug and set out to finish it within the hour.

The kick was great even if the drink combination kind of tasted like death. The buzz would hit him almost immediately, occurring within a few minutes of the initial digestion. At that time, his fingers would begin to twitch ever so slightly and he suddenly found himself unable to sit still in the tall computer chair he'd parked in front of the computer screen. He could type hysterically for about two hours, his blood-shot blue eyes darting across the flickering screen and reading the words much faster than he needed to. This intense amount of energy would last about two and a half hours before he ever felt like he needed to make another drink. The yawning would start and then it was an abrupt and sudden topple from then on.

On nights like this, Ben could usually find Riley passed out, face first against the computer screen. He'd wake up every morning at almost exactly the same time, 5:13 am, he didn't know why, and find the young man literally buried in his work. It wasn't so much that Riley just fell asleep, it was more along the line of falling into a caffeine induced coma, the affects of which were so strong it would take a nuclear blast to startle him awake.

Ben would sigh and walk over to his best friend, moving the water jug well out of arms reach and placing it in the sink. He would lean over, scooping Riley into his arms and walk to his bedroom, frowning the entire way there as he felt the younger man's heart racing against his chest even though he was completely asleep. He would gently deposit Riley into the bed, the blankets already tossed back to avoid a massive amount of fuss and risk of dropping his unconscious charge.

Riley would usually mumble something incoherently and twitch for a few more seconds before the complete relaxation of sleep hit him full force. Ben would pull the blankets up to his shoulders and watch him for a few minutes, making sure he was still asleep. Then, satisfied with the silent vigil, he's walk into the kitchen and wash out the water jug, making a face as the nauseating smell assaulted his sleep deadened senses.

Okay, so the problem with energy drinks wasn't just the crash; it was the fact that they were legal and available in every convenience store and grocery isle in the nation. Cocaine in a can as his father so delicately put it. Ben sighed and realized that even if he removed Riley's stash of energy drinks, he could easily replace it. Another problem was the fact the he'd have to find them first; Riley was like a squirrel hiding an acorn when it came to his "fix".

So until the time when energy drinks were only available on the black market through a shady-looking guy in a trench coat who was probably wearing nothing underneath, Ben would simply make sure Riley didn't overdose on the stuff and get him into bed every night. Okay, one more problem with energy drinks: Riley had discovered them and wasn't planning to drop the habit any time soon.

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**Once again, I'm so sorry this is an older story O.o I'll update soon, I promise!! Hope you enjoyed it!!**


	9. Fact War!

**Yay!! I finally got to update!! I'm sorry it took so long, everything has been kind of crazy lately but here you go!! My best friend and I used to do this all the time in high school to pass the time and whoever ran out of facts first lost :D All of thses are completely true (I have a book over them) so if they seem weird...well, they are :D Hope you like it!!**

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"Did you know that a poisonous copperhead smells like fresh cucumbers?"

It wasn't necessarily a question, more along the lines of an informed statement with a conveniently curved punctuation at the end of it. Ben looked up from his newspaper and over at Riley. "What?"

"Copperheads." The younger man nodded to the television where a man on the discovery channel was talking about the poisonous snake. "They smell like cucumbers."

"And…you know this how?" Ben couldn't help but ask, slightly dumbfounded by the random bit of information.

"Just something I read somewhere." Riley shrugged and turned his attention back to the television.

Another comfortable silence fell between the two and Ben returned to reading his paper. It was late, almost one in the morning, and both men were more awake than they'd like to be. After Riley's most recent crash from the energy drinks, Ben had banned them from the house, threatening that it was either give up the ADD in a can or give up his computer. There was no contest and Riley had begrudgingly given up the sugary drinks in order to keep his precious computer instead. Now, however, he had developed a new problem. Fact wars. Ben could always tell when Riley was getting tired because he would start spouting random facts that he'd picked up over the years. It was harmless, didn't involve sugar, and most importantly, put Riley to sleep because it pretty much set his mind on auto-pilot. It was fun to play along, and if it meant his roommate would actually go to sleep then Ben was willing to play along.

"Did you know that no president has been and only child?" Ben said, glancing out of the corner of his eye to his best friend.

Riley perked up a little and half-turned to him. "Really?"

"Yep."

"Well, did you know that Theodore Roosevelt wrote thirty-seven books?" The younger man countered, trying desperately to catch the history professor off guard.

"Yep."

"Oh, you did not!" Riley pouted, making a face as his tried to stifle a yawn. "Okay, well an iceberg contains more heat than a match."

Ben quirked an eyebrow and set his paper down. "How does that make sense?"

"Don't know, but it's true."

The older man smiled and turned to face his roommate. "Twelve babies will be given to the wrong parents each day."

"Frogs have teeth."

"The U.S. government spent 277,000 on "pickle research" in 1993."

Riley's eyes widened and he laughed. "Pickle research? I wasn't aware they were all that fascinating…."

"Me either." Ben agreed, smiling. "Your turn."

"John Wayne's real name was Marion Morrison."

"Alfred Hitchcock did not have a belly button."

Riley made a face, thinking hard for a second. "Ringo Starr was born during and World War II air raid."

"Hmm, didn't know that." Ben leaned back in his chair, his back popping down to his hips. "Mozart wrote "twinkle twinkle little star" at the age of five."

"Charlie Brown's father was a barber."

"Mel Blanc was allergic to carrots."

"Who?"

Ben laughed lightly and rubbed his eyes. "The guy who did the voice of Bugs Bunny."

"No way."

"Yep."

"Well," Riley began, shifting into a more comfortable position and yawning. "In _Scarface_, the word "fuck" is said 206 times; about once every 29 seconds."

"Wow." Ben glanced at the clock, making a face at the ever changing hands. "Movie critics first said that the _Wizard of Oz_ was stupid and uncreative."

Riley laughed. "Bet they feel pretty stupid now, huh?" He squinted at something in the kitchen.

"You okay?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thought I saw something." The younger man thought for a minute and laughed. "Michael Jackson is black."

"Oh, that is such a cop out."

"But a fact nonetheless."

Ben groaned and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, well a flattened slinky would measure 87 feet."

"Well did you know that regular Coke will sink in water whereas Diet Coke will float…there's a dingo in the kitchen."

"Okay, bed time for you. I win; hallucinations forfeit the chance to win the nightly fact war."

"Damn..."

"Bed."

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**I don't really like the ending but I couldn't think of a better one O.o I'm sorry if it sucks!! Hope you enjoyed it! Now you have some interesting facts to share with your friends!! :D**


	10. Bail

**Wow this took me a long time to write O.o No matter how many times I tried to type it out I couldn't think of how to end it -.-; Sigh. I'm sorry it took so long!! Hope you enjoy it though!!**

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"You're in jail…?!"

"Yep." Came the simple reply.

Riley shot up in the bed, the cell phone pressing a little tighter against his ear. He glanced at the clock next to his bed, squinting at the glowing red numbers. It was just barely past 3 am and the younger man stifled a groan deep in his throat. It was the first full night of sleep he'd gotten in almost a week and this was how it was going to end.

"How?" He sighed into the phone, propping himself on one elbow and rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his free hand.

"With handcuffs."

Riley rolled his eyes. "I get that, Ben; but why are you in jail to begin with?"

"I--" The single letter was drawn out for about five seconds longer than it needed to be. "Dunno."

Riley frowned, listening a little closer to his roommate's voice. "Ben…are you drunk?"

There was a brief pause on the other line. "Yes."

"I thought you didn't drink."

"I don't...sometimes..." Another pause followed by a weary hiccup. "Did you know it's illegal to pee on a mailbox?"

The younger man fell back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. He covered his eyes with his forearm and took a slow, deep breath, seriously considering leaving his intoxicated roommate behind bars for the night. However, as much as he fought with the idea, he knew Ben would come get him no matter what. Besides, he didn't want to hear this story over the phone. "Okay, where are you?"

"A jail cell."

"Brilliant, but really, where? I can't come get you if I don't know the location." Riley pushed himself out of bed and slipped a sweatshirt over his head, fumbling around the dark room for his shoes.

"Uhhh…" There was some not too silent whispering to someone in the room with him before Ben answered. "3614 Spruce St." Ben laughed softly and tried to whisper into the receiver, which was completely audible to everyone within a 10 foot radius. Riley…the guard looks like Clint Eastwood…"

Riley shook his head slowly and grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter. "Okay, just hang out. I'll be there in a minute."

"I'll be here." Ben answered needlessly.

Riley slipped the cell phone back into his pocket and walked outside, locking the door behind him and making sure he had his wallet so he could bail his roommate out of jail.

**OOOOO**

Riley begrudgingly wrote out a check for 550 for Ben's release and passed it to the guard (who did look remarkably like Clint Eastwood). A few minutes later, Ben was led out from a back room and left in his roommate's care.

"Hey Riley!" He greeted happily, if a little loudly, upon seeing the younger man. He engulfed Riley in a bone-crushing hug, his clothes smelling strongly of smoke and alcohol.

Riley winced, patting Ben on the back and nodding. "Okay, big guy, let's go home. Wave goodbye to all of your friends."

Ben diligently waved to all of the guards and followed Riley outside, stumbling a little as they walked down the steps. Once they had both been safely fastened in the car, Riley pulled out of the parking lot and drove back to their apartment.

"So, you want to tell me what happened?" He began after a minute, hating the fact that he sounded like an irritated parent.

Ben chuckled lightly and rested his head against the window. "I met up with some colleagues from work and drank a little too much." He answered simply with a little bit of a shrug. "I knew I was too drunk to drive home so I was going to walk."

"And you peed on a mailbox."

"Yeah." Ben laughed which faded into a hiccup. "I didn't know it was in front of the police station."

Riley sighed, turning into the driveway. "Why didn't you call me? You know I would have picked you up."

"You were asleep." Ben answered honestly, blinking at his younger companion as if it were the most logical thing in the world. "I didn't want to wake you up."

"Well, getting thrown in jail and having to bail you out at three in the morning certainly woke me up." Riley parked and got out, walking to the passenger side to help Ben out of the car. The older man was leaning heavily against him, his arm looped around his neck like a weighted scarf. Taking slow, unsteady steps, both men managed to make it to the front door without any devastating problems.

Riley supported Ben on one shoulder and dug into his pocket for the house keys with the other hand.

"Riley…you're a good friend." Ben mumbled, resting his head against the younger man's shoulder heavily.

"Thanks Ben. Don't fall asleep just yet, okay?" Riley sifted through the keys deftly, looking for the right one and adjusting his shoulder a little so Ben had more support.

"No…I mean a really, really good friend…"

"I heard you the first time, buddy." He answered absently, finding the correct key and inserting it into the lock. He was just about to open the door when a soft, hitching sound next to his shoulder stopped him. Before he could react to much of anything, Ben had hunched forward and emptied the contents of his stomach all over himself and Riley.

Riley felt his eyes narrow as something warm that he didn't entirely want to think about seeped through the leg of his pants. Oh, this was going to be such a long night…

**OOOOO**

Ben blinked slowly, his eyes adjusting to the tiles of ceiling in the bathroom. He was laying on his back in the bathtub, a pillow tucked behind his head and a blanket tossed over his semi-naked form. He was clothed in little more than a pair of boxers and some socks and his back felt stiff and sore from the uncomfortable, make-shift bed he's been sleeping in. He sat up carefully, wincing as the sunlight streaming through the window caught him in the eyes. His head was throbbing dully with each passing second and the inside of his mouth felt like the sole of shoe.

"Morning sunshine." A soft voice said from somewhere off to the side.

Ben looked over to see Riley leaning against the wall, his shaggy hair falling across his eyes from another sleepless night. Suddenly, the memories from the night before came flooding back and Ben squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh God Riley, I'm so sorry…" He mumbled, the very effort of talking making his head hurt. "Were you in here all night?"

The younger man shrugged lightly and smiled. "It's okay. You would have done the same for me." He smiled tiredly and stretched, his back popping loudly. "Though I don't know if I would have thrown up all over you." Ben groaned pitifully and Riley laughed, rolling the stiffness out of his shoulders. "You should probably get out of the tub and change into a decent pair of clothes; wouldn't want you to catch cold."

Ben nodded and stood slowly, stepping out of the tub and walking over to help his still-floored roommate up. "Thanks Riley." He smiled genuinely, patting the younger man on the shoulder.

"No problem, Ben." Riley smiled in return, yawning widely as the night caught up with him. "But that was your one shot. Anytime after this and I'm leaving you with Clint Eastwood."

"Duly noted."

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**Hope you guys liked it!! Once again I'm sorry it took so long!! :D**


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